RAKOW COMMERCIAL REALTY GROUP - Key Persons
Bob Bresler has been an associate at Rakow Commercial Realty Group since 2008. He enjoys working with his clients and helping them to find the best space for their needs. He and his family have been in the real estate business for more than 50 years. Before hanging his hat at RakowGroup he was a managing director for a major Wall Street firm in New York City. Bob has served on his local school board as well as town council in his home town. He resides in Armonk, where he has lived for over 15 years.
Cristian Castro is an associate with Rakow Commercial Realty Group. Cristian graduated with a degree in Real Estate from Baruch College - The City University of New York (CUNY) where he gained specialized knowledge in the economic and behavioral aspects of real estate markets. Cristian advocates for his clients and their interests to ensure they receive the best outcome in their real estate transactions. A lifelong resident of Westchester, currently living in Yonkers, Cristian volunteers at his local church.
Darren Gordon is an associate at Rakow Commercial Realty Group. He brings over 25 years of experience operating a multi-location retail business in the New York metro area as well as auxiliary commercial warehouses. Darren has enthusiastically entered the Commercial Realty Industry bringing first-hand experience of acquiring and managing space to every client relationship. Darren also takes great pride in his commitment and passion for putting the voice of the customer at the forefront.
David is the President & CEO of Rakow Commercial Realty Group. In this role, he oversees the day to day operations of the group, as well as acting as the principal commercial real estate broker for the firm. David has over 17 years of experience in negotiating commercial property sales and leases including lease renewals, renegotiations and relocations. His expertise is in office, medical, retail, industrial and investment properties.
David has volunteered with the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and he is currently on the Board of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Westchester. David has also served on the Board of Directors of Kids X-Press and the Advisory Board of the Lighthouse Guild. He is President of the Executive Forum Business Group and is an active member of the Business Council of Westchester and the Westchester County Association. He resides with his wife and three young children in Bergen County, NJ.
Janice Lederman is a business broker, as well as a commercial real estate agent. She has experience as a serial-entrepreneur with depth and breadth across all business types. Janice ran her own very successful print-brokerage operation for over 28 years, while at the same time running a high-end art gallery in Connecticut. She also has owned a very profitable vending business. Janice received her undergraduate in Marketing at the New School in New York City and shortly after graduating, she worked in New York City at McCann Ericson Advertising in print production working on the American Express account and Coca Cola where she organized hundreds of jobs at once. Many 12 to 15 hour work days and nights with late night print press approvals. She would do whatever it took to get the job done on time, on budget and quality unsurpassed. Janice shortly after worked for Walter Karl as a production manager working on accounts in the non-profit sector such as American Heart Association, Boys Club of America, American Lung Association to name a few with a print budget of 60 million dollars per year. Originally from Bronxville, NY Janice has now been living in Connecticut over 28 years and know the tri-state area very well. Janice is a humanitarian at heart and loves to volunteer with animals and all those in need. She is at her best when helping others.
Marci is an associate with Rakow Commercial Realty Group and is focused on servicing the firm's clients in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. Marci has over XX years of professional experience in real estate. Marci recently transitioned to RakowGroup from residential realty at William Raveis. Prior to real estate, Marci was the founder and film agent for Scout Representation, representing some of the most prominent production companies in the business. She is also a professional photographer, primarily shooting interiors for the real estate market. Marci resides in Hastings on Hudson, NY with her husband and two boys. She enjoys volunteering for local education fundraisers, playing tennis and golf.
Matt Benjamin grew up in Chappaqua and graduated from Horace Greeley High School. His strong work ethic, knowledge of the real estate market, and enthusiasm have helped him close deals throughout Westchester county, representing both tenants and landlords. Matt has placed retail franchises including Kumon Learning Center and UBreakiFix, as well as office tenants throughout the county. Matt and his wife Samantha own The Dessertist, a dessert studio located in Croton on Hudson. Matt enjoys sharing his knowledge with all tenants he represents, especially food related businesses. He frequently advises tenants with his real-life experiences in the industry. Matt is focused on building long-lasting relationships and helping tenants find their dream space. He has an MBA from Babson College with a concentration in entrepreneurship. Matt's "start-up" spirit is an asset to the tenants he represents, as he understands how to launch and grow a profitable business.
Nico Rossi is one of the highly-skilled and experienced brokers at RakowGroup. He is a motivated, tenacious, and trustworthy broker with a profound interest in commercial and residential real estate. Nico is a natural, mainly due to his family having owned and operated commercial property in Westchester County and the Bronx. He also has a background in finance, understanding debt, cash flow, real property portfolio growth, and income-producing assets. Nico began his career at one of the top global financial institutions. He was a significant member of their investment banking division for eight years. Nico then made a shift to mortgage loan originating and real estate sales and leases. During this transition, he further honed his skills in salesmanship and understanding the loan and finance process. His extensive knowledge in finance and his deep-rooted love of real estate gave him the push to become a broker. Nico loves working with people and builds long term bonds with his clients, who refer him to friends and family. He is proactive and energetic when it comes to deals he is in pursuit of and is always advocating for his clients. Relationship building is one of the most important aspects of real estate and one of Nico's key focuses. Once you're in Nico's hands, you won't second guess his commitment to you!
Phil Luria has been representing both tenants and landlords in their commercial real estate negotiations for more than three decades and while his primary focus is on the Westchester and Fairfield county markets, he has also represented clients outside of the tri-state area. Most recently, Phil has brokered real estate deals which include both commercial and industrial buildings as well as land sales in the Northern Westchester county area. Phil's unique approach to each client and each client's diverse needs has been the driving force in his success -Phil has been a recipient of Broker of the Year awards from two major developers. When Phil is not working, he is active as both a committee member as well as fundraiser for the March of Dimes, American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association. Additionally, Phil is a long-time member and former chairman of the Town of New Castle Board of Assessment Review and also a member of the Real Estate Finance Association.
Rick is the Founder of Rakow Commercial Realty Group and has over 30 years of commercial real estate experience. Rick founded RakowGroup in 1985 creating one of the region's first commercial real estate companies focused on the needs of tenants.
Rick has served on the Board of Directors for over 12 years and was the Chairman of the Board for The Food Bank for Westchester (www.foodbankforwestchester.org) from 2011 - 2015. He is active in helping several other charitable organizations in Westchester, is a Past Vice President of The Business Council of Westchester and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Westchester County Association. He resides with his wife in Westchester County.
Santo Rusciano is an associate with Rakow Commercial Realty Group. Santo graduated from Fairfield University with a degree in marketing and interned in commercial real estate. Prior to joining RakowGroup, Santo worked for Tamerlain Commercial Realty who specialized in industrial property in the Bronx and lower Westchester. As his family is involved in construction and owns industrial properties, Santo has been around the industry for many years. Once he interned in the commercial sector, he knew it was the career path he wanted to take.